1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an equestrian bit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to control the behavior of a horse while mounted thereon, and a rider must have the ability to control the direction, speed and gait of the horse. The most effective device for providing this control is a bit, and such a bit includes a mouthpiece which is inserted in the mouth of the horse. The mouthpiece can be rigid as is the case for a Mullen mouthpiece or the mouthpiece can alternatively be jointed.
When a mouthpiece is properly positioned in the mouth of a horse, an end of the mouthpiece protrudes from either side of the horse's mouth. Each of these ends is connected to a large ring or the like called a cheek. The cheeks are used to connect the mouthpiece to reins which generally are long leather straps extending from the mouth of the horse to the hands of the rider. Typically, when the rider wishes to slow or stop the horse, the rider pulls the reins backwards causing the cheeks to pull the mouthpiece towards the rider. The pressure of the mouthpiece in the mouth of the horse induces the horse to change its current behavior, and the horse usually slows or stops.
A bit can be used for purposes other than slowing or stopping a horse. Thus, a bit can be used to control the direction of a horse; to induce a horse to move backwards; to encourage a horse to raise and/or lower its head; and to signal a horse to rear up on its back legs. A horse's response to a bit is determined by the manner in which the horse is trained. For example, some horses are trained to respond to a greater pull on one rein than the other. An unequal pull on the reins causes the pressure on one side of a bit to exceed the pressure on the other side and a horse responds by turning its head or its body to the side with the greater pressure. Other horses are trained not to respond to unequal pressure on a bit but, rather, to a rein placed on one side of the neck or the other.
For a horse, the insertion of a bit in the mouth is not a natural occurrence. The ability of a bit to control a horse is due, in large part, to the discomfort provided by the bit or the memory of the discomfort provided by a previous bit. A horse will initially reject and attempt to expel a bit from its mouth and must therefore be trained to accept and respond to the bit.
To this end, it is customary to train a horse to accept a bit by using a bit in which the mouthpiece is not rigid. Bits of this type, which are referred to as “jointed mouthpiece” bits, include a mouthpiece having two members which are pivotally connected to one another. The mouthpiece members are pivotable relative to one another through 180 degrees in two opposite directions from a position in which the mouthpiece members lie on a straight line.
A jointed mouthpiece bit allows a horse to move the bit to a more comfortable position within its mouth and is primarily used to accustom the horse to the feeling of a bit. An additional benefit of a jointed mouthpiece bit is that it is not as likely as a rigid bit to injure an untrained horse. However, with this increase in comfort and safety for the horse comes a corresponding decrease in the ability to control the behavior of the horse.
Once a horse has become accustomed to a jointed mouthpiece bit in its mouth, it is customary to progress to a bit with a rigid mouthpiece. A rigid mouthpiece bit can be safely used only on horses which have been trained to accept a bit, and the transition from a jointed mouthpiece bit to a rigid mouthpiece bit is difficult. Thus, just as a horse will initially resist having a bit of any type placed in its mouth, the horse will resist the progression from a jointed mouthpiece bit to a rigid mouthpiece bit since a rigid mouthpiece bit is far less comfortable than a jointed mouthpiece bit.